Sad But True Stories: Bike and Pedestrian Safety Hearing

TBD liveblogged the entire hearing, and there are some stories you shouldn’t miss. If you ride a bike, there are some horror stories to make you feel better about your own experiences. As a pedestrian, I am nervous of a few key intersections in Borderstan — the dog park at 17th Street in between Swann and S Streets in particular — and the stories of cars hitting people in crosswalks does little to alleviate that concern.

A Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Story?

Apparently, gun ownership has risen in the District following the end of the handgun ban. Probably not surprising, but what may shock you is where the rates have gone up the most — according to the The Washington Post, it’s in well-to-do neighborhoods. 20009 has 104 licenses, so think twice before you shoot* your mouth off. (*Bad pun acknowledgement and apology)

Latest on City Council At-Large Election

The Post also has the story of the first big fireworks in the at-large campaign. Candidate Josh Lopez launched a full offensive on Mayor Gray, following his meeting with Speaker of the House John Boehner. Not surprising, since Lopez worked for Fenty, but going negative officially kicks this race off by my count.

A Story to Help You Cook Valentine’s Day Dinner (Or Buy It)

Some of my favorite food bloggers, including our Borderstan resident and writer Alejandra, got together on TBD yesterday to guide you through Valentine’s Day food dilemmas.

Art and Food Make Great Neighbors

As part of their upstairs expansion, Bar Pilar is teaming up with local artist and current space-holder Raven Arts to create a new art gallery across the street. TBD has the full scoop — but what a great story of local businesses working with their neighbors to find solutions to growth.

A Story That Makes Your Rent Seem Easy to Pay

I know rent around here isn’t cheap, but it could always be worse. The Reeves Center deli, for example, owes $350k in back rent to the city, reports DCist. The story, as it always is with D.C. stories involving politics, isn’t so simple according to the owner.